Electrical tap socket



June 29 1926. 1,590,954

J. PRECIOUS ELECTRICAL TAP SOCKET Filed Dec. 15. 1923 Patented June 29, 1926. i i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

v JOSEPH IRECIOUS, OF IROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

ELECTRICAL TAP SOCKET.

Application filed December 15, 1923. Serial No. 680,904.

This invention relates to electrical tap located in the recessed portion of the section sockets and more particularly to a socket 11 and the spring contact 17 is mounted upembodying a cap or plug and switch which on the stem 15 and engaged by the end of may serve the usual function of the ordithe lamp bulb when screwed into the I! nary key switch, and providing; a practical threaded sleeve 13. Binding screw and means for tapping the current from the conductor 16 form the means for holding socket for supplemental uses. the two sections 10 and 11' and the. insulated The invention consists of a suitable inplug 14 together. 1 sulated body provided with the usual socket The inner faces of the two sections 10 and 66 10 for a lamp bulb and four contact members 11 are provided with four recessed'compartwhereb the current may be taken from the ments 18. In two diametrically opposed the, ho y for supplemental purposes on one compartments 18 of the section 10 are side of the plug and the opposite side of mounted and received contacts D and C and the body having contactsengaged by a cap in two diametrically opposed compartments 70 16 or plug connection which is associated with 18 of the/section 11 are contacts Band A. suitable switch mechanism for controlling The contacts of these two sections are not the lamp circuit. arranged in the same compartments of their An object of this invention is to construct respective sections. The vacant comparta tap socket so that the light circuit will ments of the SBC 10 will receive-the H- 75 not interfere with the use of the suppletacts A and B of section 11 when the two mental connection or the supplemental conadjoining faces of the sections are brought; nection interfere with the light circuit and together, and fthe vacant compartments of to provide means whereby the light circuit section 11 will receive the contacts C and D is always under the control of the tap socket of the section 10. These compartments are '8 X and its associated switch. formed so that the walls of the sections, as

The invention consists of certain novel feawell as the partition or dividing walls will tures of construction and combination of come in contact with each other so that parts which will be hereinafter described there will be no danger of short circuitmg and pointed out in the claim. between the various contacts. The contacts In the accompanying drawings: C and D of section 10 are connected thereto Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the tap and to the sleeve contact 12 by binding socket with its various connections; screws 19 and 20 so that the circuit is car- Fi ure 2 is a plan view in elevation showried from the sleeve 12,to each of these conmg t- 1e inner faces of the two sections of the tacts. These screws are illustrated in Fig- 3!! tap socket; ure 4. The contacts A and B of section 11 Figure 3, is a vertical sectional view on are attached to section 11 by means of bindthe line 33, of Figure 1; ing screws 21 and 22. The binding screw Figure 4, is a top plan view of the tap .21 having engagement with the threaded socket with the insulated plug removed; socket 13 and the binding screw 22 having 9 40 Figure 5, is a bottom plan View of the engagement with the conductor 16. The socket for the lamp bulb; contacts B and D when the plug sections are Figure 6 is a view in elevation of one of assembled form the means whereby a circuit the contact terminals; may be completed at any time, that is, these Figure 7 is a plan view of the blank for contacts are always live and therefore 45 forming the terminal; and ready for use at all times. These contacts Figure 8, is a diagrammatical view of the are adapted to be engaged by spring tercircuits. minals 23 carried by a line tap plug 24.

The tap socket is constructed of any suita- The contacts A and C are adapted to be ble insulating material and is composed of engaged by similar line tap plug 25 which 50 two sections 10 and 11. Connected to the is provided with the usual two spring tersection 10 is the usual threaded sleeve conminals 26 for completing the circuit througlr' tact- 12 and to the section 11 is the threaded the' tap socket to the lamp 27. The tap sleeve contact 13. Received within the plug 25 and its terminals are provided with threaded sleeve contact 12 is an insulated 'a switch 2-8 which is connected thereto by a plug 14 through which extends a binding suitable wiring 29 so that the switch may screw 15 which engages a conductor 16 be carried to any convenient location in the room and operated for causing the lamp to be lighted or extinguished. In this connec tion it might be stated that the circuit through contacts 0 and A-is through the binding screw 15 to conductor 16 and spring contact 17 then through the lamp socketto sleeve 13, and then through screw 21 and contact A. Contact 0 is connected to the sleeve 12 by screw 19 thereby completing the circuit to these contacts when the tap plug 25 is inserted causing each of its terminals 26 to engage one of the contacts A and C. The lamp 27 is caused to be lighted when the button of the switch 28 is operated, and extinguished upon a similar operation of the switch. The circuit for the live side of the socket through terminals B and D is as follows: The contact D is connected to the sleeve 12 by binding screw 20, whereas the contact B receives its circuit through the binding post or screw 15, conductor 16 and screw 22, and upon the insertion of the contact terminals 23 of the tap plug 24 causing each of the terminals 23 to engage a contact D and B current will be carried through the wires 30 to any suitable source.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the terminals B and D are always live and ready for use regardless of the position of the button 31 of the switch 28. The lamp circuit, however, is always under control of the button 31 of the switch 28 and the lamp may be lighted or extinguished at any time upon the operation of the buttbn 31. However, when the tap plug 25 and its terminals 26 are removed from engagement with the contacts A and C, the current will not pass to the'light and the same can not be used until the tap plug has been brought into engagement with the contacts A and C of the tap socket.

In Figures 6 and 7 is tacts A, B, C and D illustrated the con- In Figure 7, the

blank 32 is illustrated and when folded or bent into shape will produce the structure shown in Figures 6 and 2. Attached to the contact is a conductor plate 33 which is provided for engagement with the binding screws employed for attaching it to the sections of the tap socket. These contacts are constructed for receiving terminals which may be arranged either in horizontal plane with respect to the plugs 24 and 25, or vertical. Only the horizontal terminals have been illustrated in Figure 1, and these terminals engage the contacts 34, 34, of Figure 6, but if the vertical terminals were employed, the terminal would engage a side of each of the contacts 34 and 35.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a tap socket has been rovided whereby current may be taken t erefrom at any time without the operation of a switch and that a control has been provided for the lamp circuit which is dependent upon a tap plug 25 for causing the lamp circuit to function. It is necessary that the terminals 26 of the tap plug be brought into engagement with the contacts A and C and the button 31 of the switch 28 operated before the circuit will be complete for lighting the lamp.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In a tap socket, the combination of plug and socket members secured together, each of the adjacent faces of the two members provided with 'a number of compartments, stationary contact terminals located in compartments of each member and received in compartments of the adjacent member, a contact terminal of each member forming together constantly live contacts for a branch circuit, and two contacts, one of each member, adapted for connection in establishing another circuit.

JOSEPH PRECIOUS. 

